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Letters Patent No. 69,383, dated October 1, l1867.

IMPROVEMENT IT ROTARY ENGINES.

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Be it .known thatI MOSES L. ANDREW, of Cincinnati, Hamilton county, Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines; and I hereby declare the following to be a full7 clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

illy invention relates principally to double-cylinder rotar-ies, and consists in certain devices for packing the ends and peripheries of the revolving pistons, and in a peculiar arrangement of exhaust-passages. My invention further consists in an improved journal-box for the shafts. In the accompanying drawings- Figure lis an axial section through one cylinder of a rotary engine embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-section through the double cylinder, showing the construction of peripheral packing and arrangement of passages.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the cylinder-head.

A isthe cylinder, having journalled within it the rotary piston-shafts B B. The enlarged parts C of the shafts are provided withk wings D D, having attheir extremities a spring-chamber, (l, and lips d d. Screwed to and revolving with each shaft are two segmental pistons, E E', having grooves e to fit snugly over the lipped wings D D', the lips d d being a little narrower thanitheir corresponding grooves e in the pistons to allow ofthe pistons being slightly expanded to compensate for wear. The pistons are forcedout by mea'ns of springs F. This effects a permanent packing ofthe piston peripheries, both against the cylinders and the jointbctween the two pistons on the centre line. The end faces of the pistons are packed by means of the follower G, which is held with an elastic force to a bearing against the pistons by springs I, whose tension is increased or diminished by means of set-.screws H. I have found by practical experience that where the steam is carried around the cylinder in this class of engines, and only allowed to escape through a single p ort directly opposite the induction-port K, the tendency is to crowd the pistonsA together on the centre line, and wear rapidly. To obviate this I exhaust the steam the moment it has accomplished its work, by means of the belt-passage L, communicating with the cylinder at a a.

In this description of rotary engine, where the pressure on'the shafts is unbalanced, the journals are found to wear rapidly on the opposite side of theengne to that in which tbe steam is admitted. To increase the durability of the journal-boxes M, I make them of conical form, and secure them in the bearings N by means of nuts O, so that as they are found to wear in one direction they can be slacked and partially revolved so as to present a thicker part of the box to the pressure. In this way every part of the box can be utilized until it is worn out. l

I claim herein as new, and of my inventionl 1. The combination and arrangement of the lipped and chambered wings D D', grooved segmental pistons E, and springs F, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the set-screws H andsprings I, whereby to hold the follower G to the end of the pistonC with a variable and elastic pressure.

3. The arrangement of the conical boxesA M, bearings N, and pinch-nuts O, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

MOSES L. ANDREW,

1Witnesses:

GEO. H. KNIGHT, JAMES H. LYMAN. 

